Backstreet Boys, Olympians, and weightless trips on The Bachelor

After an abrupt end to last week’s episode, as Nick explained his past with Liz, we pick up right where we left off. Christen was the gossiper, Liz was sent home, and the rest of the girls are about to be royally shocked.

Oh, and remember Corinne’s villainy? Well she can’t let the Liz and Nick sex issue have all the attention! Just a quick reminder, she already has a rose from the wedding photo group date, and Danielle M has one from her kinda slow one on one.

All the girls are a little freaked out, but Nick jumps in at the start of the rose ceremony to immediately explain everything. Turns out, as expected, the girls in the previews aren’t crying about Nick’s promiscuous past – or anything else in this episode. Sure, they might question whether he’s hooking up with other girls in the house or be thinking about his motives, but they certainly aren’t shocked to learn he isn’t a virgin. But let’s move on to the big question of the rose ceremony… why did Nick choose such an ugly tie? Why would he even bring it? Normally I quite like his style.

And then the Corinne drama is back, because Liz can’t sustain more than a few minutes of it. She gets dressed up in a bra and trench coat to seduce him with whipped cream, because that’s how you get a fiancé. It’s sad when it’s so obvious someone is trashed, because you just know they’ll be embarrassed watching it over again. She’s slurring her words, falling all over him, has a big crying fit, and then passes out once she gets rejected.

Every once in a while, we get those really “confident” girls on the show. The ones that think confidence solely means sex appeal – or, more accurately, stripping off and offering themselves up to the bachelor in every waking moment. It’s sad, because that’s rarely going to get girls too far on this show. Sure Nick wants to have fun, but soon he’ll realize he needs to buckle down and actually find someone that fits with his newer self-made image.

Then everyone’s gossiping about Corinne, and the tears have started. On Corinne’s part, because she got rejected. She promptly passed out before the rose ceremony, which definitely didn’t go unnoticed by the women or Nick. He hands out the roses, but does consider that as a possible red flag. Good, because once he learns about the nanny… all bets are off.

Danielle L, Christen, Kristina, Whitney, Taylor, Jasmine, and Corinne go on a date with the Backstreet Boys. Does everyone seem more excited for them, over the man they’re dating? They head over to a studio and get to learning their dance but Corinne is bad at it! And we can’t have that!

As they’re practising, Corinne is in hell. They put her on a date where she’ll have to DANCE, and she’s a bad dancer while some of the other girls are great at it! She pouts and doesn’t know how to get attention, especially after Danielle L wins the on-stage slow dance. So she puts on her weird too-small slit-more-like-a-gaping-hole of a dress and hopes that will entice Nick. Maybe for a few minutes, but he quickly went off to talk with all the other women who didn’t look like sausages and she goes for a nap. I really think Corinne needs to get checked out for a medical problem…

After being concerned about not getting a rose, Vanessa makes it onto one of the most fantastic one on ones this show has ever seen. They go off on one of those planes that make you feel weightless, and have a cute time – until Vanessa starts throwing up. It’s really not surprising, most people do that on their first time in that type of plane, but it was sweet to see Nick comforting her and being there for her however she needed. It’s moments like these where he seems a bit more mature than some of the earlier bachelors. Normally one on ones like this are pushed to the side when there’s drama going on in the house, like last week. I guess when the date actually seems like a budding relationship with real conversation, they want to latch on to that.

The second group date takes Rachel, Alexis, Astrid, Jami, Sarah, Brittany, and Dominique onto a track and field competition. Astrid’s boobs were all over the place because she chose a crop top instead of sports bra, but she managed to steal the bonus one on one time in the hot tub out from under Rachel and Alexis. Oh, and there were some old Olympians on the date too. Not that they weren’t important, but they certainly didn’t add as much flare as I’m sure the producers hoped.

Aaand then he sends Dominique home during their conversation on the date. That’s the second time in two episodes, so let’s assume he won’t be holding back all season – it’s always more fun when they make up their own rules. I guess it isn’t surprising though, she really challenged him in an unflattering way. Plus, pointing out you don’t have as much of a connection rarely ends up going anywhere other than home alone. Other girls talked with him too, and he made out with a few people, but overall nothing overly exciting happened. Jami mentioned her relationship with a girl again, Alexis made out with Nick on a poster of his face, and Rachel seemed to have some good conversation before they kissed.

Instead of a cocktail party, Nick (read: producers) decided a pool party would be more fun to rile up the girls. Corinne (read: producers) had a bouncy castle all set up for their fairy-tale one on one time, where they bounced and made out and straddled each other. Obviously the other girls aren’t happy about that, and Vanessa confronts him right before the episode ends. Will he get his act together and send Corinne home, or will Vanessa walk after their fantastic one on one?

Roses: Danielle L (group), Vanessa (1 on 1), Rachel (group), and the rest is to be continued.